hi all,

Ive been offered a TL steering rack and pump (re: best rack to get same as ralliart?) for $165 inc postage and was wondering a few things.

1) its not stipulated how many k's but says low k's so should I get it rebuilt/inspected? If so does anyone roughly know how much

and

2)

fitting one... can be done yourself? if so who's done it and what is the good the bad the ugly?

All info would be great!!

benny

It looks like a pretty serious job, if the Mitsubishi manual is anything to go by. It doesn't look as though the actual rack fitting is too challenging, but all the supporting work - removing and refitting the exhaust + crossmember, filling and bleeding the PS fluid, aligning the wheels, and there's also a big warning about SRS, and potential damage to the clock spring.

sorry, SRS? I have a TE.... no fancy stuff like that going on here.

Ok cool. The online manual only goes back to TH, and it assumes that SRS is fitted. Still, fitting the rack sounds like a full weekend's worth of work. Are you going to change the PS pump along with the rack?

i got mine removed, reco'd and reinstalled in 2 by professionals. I rekon it would be a funnnn and long job.

Comes with a TL pump as well but havent bought this yet, just wanted to see if it was cheaper/easier to do myself.

I'll be doing one on my Dad's TF later this year. Getting the crossmember out will be the biggest job I've done on a car: do-able but I'll be starting Friday night and be prepared to go right through the weekend.

I've actually taken a cross member out on a magna, it isnt that hard.

No, not hard. But I'm sure it will take me a long time, sliding in and out from under the car finding the right socket sizes, undoing seized exhaust bolts and double checking everything I'm about to do...

Its not that fun I just done my TH.. you need to be a advanced backyarder OR just pay to get it done, not a job you would take on inless you had a bit of experiance behind you, a bit fiddly !

i have done one on my te v6 you dont need to take out the cross member just drop the cross member down untell the rack comes out

Should be a reasonably bolt in affair, looks like you know your way around cars with the project you have...

I'd get a wheel alignment straight away after you've bolted it in though.

No, not hard. But I'm sure it will take me a long time, sliding in and out from under the car finding the right socket sizes, undoing seized exhaust bolts and double checking everything I'm about to do...

Well if this helps

Engine pipe to manifold 19mm
Engine pipe to cat, hangers 12mm, to cat 17mm
Brace 17mm front, 14mm rear bolts
Rack....to steering knuckle 12mm, 2 brackets 17mm
Tie rod end to rack end 22mm, nut on hub 14mm
Line bracket 12mm
Lines, use 19mm spanner with a 14mm line spanner

Make sure you have new "O" rings for the steering pump if you intend to remove this pipe to make the job easier

Is pretty straight forward, if you are cunning you can get the rack out of a FWD without removing or even lowering the "K" frame although you have only about 3mm to work with

Also make sure you mark your steering shaft, I know you do not have airbags but you still need to get it back together in the right place

DONT forget to drain the PS fluid and also make sure you have some new Mits grade PS fluid to go back in

engine pipe to manifold was 17 on my car !!.. must be different between models ~ !

I didnt move the cross member either, can work around it

My lines (rack end) were 17mm not 19 or 14 !!..

Well if this helps

Engine pipe to manifold 19mm...

Taa - I'll write the spanner sizes in my Gregory's manual :-)

I do have airbags to contend with on Dad's TF and will see if I can be cunning when I get it out. Bought a TW rack with 70 000 km for $90 over the weekend. Got the Mitsu fluid already, but I think it's a job for a quiet weekend in May.

Should the car have a wheel alignment afterwards?

yeah mine needed one bigtime

Well if this helps

Engine pipe to manifold 19mm
Engine pipe to cat, hangers 12mm, to cat 17mm
Brace 17mm front, 14mm rear bolts
Rack....to steering knuckle 12mm, 2 brackets 17mm
Tie rod end to rack end 22mm, nut on hub 14mm
Line bracket 12mm
Lines, use 19mm spanner with a 14mm line spanner

Make sure you have new "O" rings for the steering pump if you intend to remove this pipe to make the job easier

Is pretty straight forward, if you are cunning you can get the rack out of a FWD without removing or even lowering the "K" frame although you have only about 3mm to work with

Also make sure you mark your steering shaft, I know you do not have airbags but you still need to get it back together in the right place

DONT forget to drain the PS fluid and also make sure you have some new Mits grade PS fluid to go back in

Me again...

Well a year later the car is finally coming here in 2 weeks for me to do this.

I can mark the steering shaft for straight ahead but can't mark the steering gear as I've got a 2nd hand replacement. How do I get it "near enough" to get to a wheel alignment shop?

And prior to that, which way does the rack come out if I don't remove the exhaust or centre member? Through the driver side wheel arch?

Will get the steering pump banjo O rings this week.

Taa.

Well the O rings are proving difficult. I spent 30 minutes in the Mitsu parts department but all they came up with for the banjo joint O rings was a either a full pump seal kit (#48096) or a replacement banjo post (#48041).

I guess I'll go to at steering specialist to try next. What size / spec are they (or will they "just know")?

You can not remove the rack without taking off the exhaust and no it does not come out through the wheel arch, in short you need to push it all the way to the lhs as far as it will go, this will allow the tie rod to drop down and then take the rack out from under the car. Rear roll stop mount needs to come off as part of this as well

Glad i just paid my mechanic to do all this for me.

This really isn't a hard job to do but if you are having trouble it's probably best that you leave it to the professionals.

It would be a good idea to get a service manual to instruct you through the process.

Other than the sockets and spanners that Mal has given you the sizes for, you will also need a torque wrench jack and jack stands.

You will also need the O-rings that Mal mentioned. They are 6mm and 7.5mm O-rings, part numbers are MB192717 & MB950259

Hope this helps. Cheers Luke

Thanks Luke. I've got a Gregorys manual but will try to shortcut the procedure in there :-)

Its for my Mum & Dad's car that they'l leave here at the end of the month for me to work on for a couple of weeks while they're on holidays.

I've got the stands and torque wrench :-)

I just did this on my car with a rack from Mal and i found i easier to romove the right hand tie rod end. leave the nut on in the right spot.but i messed up the steering wheel position big time.

Steering wheel allignment is fine, just take off the steering wheel, set the wheels straight, realign your clock spring as per instructions on yellow label and then you are good to go

I did mine the other way - left the exhaust alone and lowered the crossmember enough to remove/refit via the drivers wheel arch (its largely what the workshop manual told me to do).

I'd probably do it the Madmagna's way next time.

The rack is out :-) Did it the short cut way Mal described :-)

I've also got the power steering supply line out and wanted to check the various O rings that I need for the supply line (rack end), return line (rack end) and power steering pump supply line banjo (2 rings required).

Luke said to get MB192717 (6mm) & MB950259 (7.5mm) for the banjo which I have got - but they look lots smaller than where they have to go. Do they just get stretched into place?

What size O rings do I need for the rack ends of the two lines?

The MMAL schematic labels them as 48999B (supply) and 48999C (return).

Asking here as National Capital Motors MMAL parts dept had no idea about the banjo O rings, and I'd like to get them first thing Monday.

Then I can start on replacing the drive shafts as I've found that the LHS one is g-o-n-e.

One more question - is there a preferred size of locking pliers for attaching tie rods to a rack? The "normal" 180mm long ones I have are slipping off.

Tie rods bolt to the rack, held in by a locking washer. Its all hidden under the bellows. Using locking pliers on the tie rod doesnt work as there is a ball joint under the bellows.

The ball joint is what I'm trying to stop turning: I have a steering rack and two not-connected-to-the-rack tie rods, complete with ends & boots. They just need to be all put back together. I've got the rod in a vice, and the pliers on the ball joint housing (as shown in Gregorys manual). I just can't make the pliers stay there as the thread is pretty tight from past staking.

Tie rod ball joint housing has 2 flats on it so you can get a spanner on it, I believe. You could try a plumber's monkey wrench if there are no flats. That's how I took mine off while the rack was on the car.

The ball joint is what I'm trying to stop turning: I have a steering rack and two not-connected-to-the-rack tie rods, complete with ends & boots. They just need to be all put back together. I've got the rod in a vice, and the pliers on the ball joint housing (as shown in Gregorys manual). I just can't make the pliers stay there as the thread is pretty tight from past staking.

Now I am confused, I thought you got a complete rack for $90 bucks, if so this should have rack ends on it and should also have tie rod ends not that the tie rods really matter. If it is just the tie rods you are getting off, 2 22mm spanners, one for the rod, one for the nut, loosen the nut and the tie rod unscrews. This vice and grips thing I have seen touted before but why not just do it properly

if you got this rack less rack ends, I woudl throw it out and start again as there is something very sus in selling a rack less ends,.

What's the difference in steering feel like, guys? More direct, better feel?

TL and W are very direct and a little more heavy

if you got this rack less rack ends, I woudl throw it out and start again as there is something very sus in selling a rack less ends,.

It came with tie rods, but they weren't attached - its from a Mitsubishi wreckers (http://stores.ebay.com.au/lancercity) in Queensland. I presumed just taken apart to make it easier to ship?

Lol. Now i know why it came i. Bits if it came from where i think it came from. Also make sure it was a tl or w rack

So just to confirm. The rack ends and boots are attached and tir rods are off ot the lot is removed. Would not be a bad idea to give me a bell perhaps because if rack ends are removed i would say old ones were bent or broken which means rack is stuffed. If just tie rods are off then maybe fair enough

Lol. Now i know why it came i. Bits if it came from where i think it came from. Also make sure it was a tl or w rack

So just to confirm. The rack ends and boots are attached and tir rods are off ot the lot is removed. Would not be a bad idea to give me a bell perhaps because if rack ends are removed i would say old ones were bent or broken which means rack is stuffed. If just tie rods are off then maybe fair enough

I bought it from Lancercity in Caloundra: http://stores.ebay.com.au/lancercity

It came three pieces: steering rack with clipped and pinched ps fluid supply and return lines (which I thought was a nice touch), and two tie rods, each of which had a rod, connected tie rod end and also a boot and small boot clip. I don't know how to tell if its TL or TW, but the barrel of the steering rack is a light brass colour metal, whereas the TF I've removed is black. I can't see any other notation.

So the rack ends and the boot have been removed, I would not touch that and would ask for my money back mate, there is no need to remove the rack ends unless

a/ you are offering with new rack ends and tie rods as I have done a few times just to reniew them
b/ the originals have been bent

To expect a back yarder to have the knowledge and tooling to safely refit the rack ends to a steering rack is stupid, if these are not fitted properly they can easilly come off while car is being driven and I dont have to tell you what happens then. What it sounds like you have been sent is a steering rack out of a car from a front end wreck, then the rack ends have been removed and replaced with others to over this up, only he has not bothered to re attach them. WHen I sell racks, I sell them complete with lines and pump, the only things to connect are the fluid lines back to the reservoir. THis way there is no issue with O rings, no issue with initial allignment and most important, you are getting pump and rack from same low mileage car.

Each to thier own I guess

Now for your issue, should you decide to proceed with this rack, then you will need to loosen the small clip, push back the boot. You will see a thread, screw it onto the rack (the part with the boot and inner ball joint is called a rack end, they are listed in my store so you can have a look to show what it looks like with no boot on it), once you screw it on, hopefully they gave you the special washers which bend over the rack end to then stop the rack end from coming loose.

When you tighten the rack end to the rack, you need to get it tight without damaging the steering rack shaft that protrudes from the rack and also without twisting the shaft and thus causing damage to the rack seals

So the rack ends and the boot have been removed, I would not touch that and would ask for my money back mate, there is no need to remove the rack ends unless

a/ you are offering with new rack ends and tie rods as I have done a few times just to reniew them
b/ the originals have been bent

To expect a back yarder to have the knowledge and tooling to safely refit the rack ends to a steering rack is stupid, if these are not fitted properly they can easilly come off while car is being driven and I dont have to tell you what happens then. What it sounds like you have been sent is a steering rack out of a car from a front end wreck, then the rack ends have been removed and replaced with others to over this up, only he has not bothered to re attach them. WHen I sell racks, I sell them complete with lines and pump, the only things to connect are the fluid lines back to the reservoir. THis way there is no issue with O rings, no issue with initial allignment and most important, you are getting pump and rack from same low mileage car.

Each to thier own I guess

Now for your issue, should you decide to proceed with this rack, then you will need to loosen the small clip, push back the boot. You will see a thread, screw it onto the rack (the part with the boot and inner ball joint is called a rack end, they are listed in my store so you can have a look to show what it looks like with no boot on it), once you screw it on, hopefully they gave you the special washers which bend over the rack end to then stop the rack end from coming loose.

When you tighten the rack end to the rack, you need to get it tight without damaging the steering rack shaft that protrudes from the rack and also without twisting the shaft and thus causing damage to the rack seals

The small clips were loose on the rod, and the boot pushed a little way along too. I can see the ball joint and have got the thread a couple of turns onto the steering rack end thread (which is where I came to a grinding halt). No washers were included (nor mentioned in Gregorys manual, come to think of it - they say to use a pin punch to stake them together, and I can see tool marks where that was done on the rack).

Seems a waste to junk it all but there you go. Do you have one there that I could get to Canberra to fit this week?

Can you post up a pic of what you have there, will see if i can assist. My concern is that this rack was in a car where the wheels have been hit, if that is the case could be more dangerous than the rack you are removing as impact damage can do really mean things to a steering rack.

Now, with these ends, was early when I posted up lol, the Magna has the rack end scrwewd into the steering rack, then is punched to grip the thread. The tread will be damaged when removed and should generally not be re used, this is also stated int he workshop manual. Again yet another reason for the rack ends not to be removed.

If you want to call me tomorrow when I have time to check my stock, I may have one here but will have to look to confirm 100% as I have sold a few racks lately. My number is in my contact thread if you dont already have it. Give me until 10am to get my day started lol and then give me a bell, if I have one, I can have it to you by about Wednesday given you are in ACT

One tie rod is still separate as it came in the delivery, and the other partially attached by me, but I can't turn it any more.

I can see how the thread would be damaged by staking - BTW I just re-read the procedure and Gregory's manual doesn't mention not reusing tie rods.

I'll try Queanbeyan wreckers first thing tomorrow to see if they have a good one locally and if not give you a call.

Thanks for all your advice.

Here it is from Mits Themselves


*G* TIE ROD ASSEMBLY NOTE
Tie rods must be replaced as the thread would have been damaged during removal.
1. Install the new tie rod to the rack assembly after the pinion assembly has been installed. Tighten the tie rod using special tool E8802-6 and a torque as follows:

You have 2 options, if you are confident the rack is still ok, you can get the rack ends from my store or locally if you wish. or I have been out to my workshop and I have 1 TL rack here complete with pump still attached, you are looking at $250 for this plus freight, I did send one recently to ACT and from memory was $35 for freight.

If this rack was only pulled apart to save 2 bucks on freight, all I can say is that this was a waste of a good rack.

Thanks again. I'll ditch the rack.

Your complete rack is my option #2, after I see if Grant at Queanbeyan Dismantlers has one I can get tomorrow. Will cal tomorrow morning either way.

I don;t know about the postage saving thing - that was just my assumption when it arrived like that.

thanks for info, i am very cunning so should be able to use that 3mm clearance to my advantage,if not i have a great selection of hammers !! will let you know how i get on...

I paid $490 for my reconditioned rack that included a wheel alignment...